Education

Visit our repository for unused or worn Hebrew books and religious items prior to book burial. It’s located at Pride of Jacob Chapel at 350 Grove Street, West Roxbury (turn onto Jeshurun Street). 

A visit to the second-oldest Jewish cemetery in Massachusetts established in 1851. This cemetery is the resting place of 1,400 souls, 1200 who were children under the age of 20, most in unmarked graves. Once an abandoned cemetery, JCAM restored and rededicated the cemetery in 2013 and installed a new children’s memorial garden. The walkway of the cemetery is lined with names of the children who are resting in unmarked graves.

Flag Day Project – An educational program started in 2009 that brings synagogue youth groups to several Jewish cemeteries where they place American flags at the graves of Jewish War veterans in time for Veterans Day. Children learn that American Jewish soldiers helped liberate concentration camps during WWII and Jewish soldiers today continue to serve their country.

JCAM looks forward to bringing even more groups to Jewish cemeteries in the future to continue this mitzvah project. Contact Lisa Berenson, Director of Development & Educational Programming  at 617-244-6509 X102 or lisa.berenson@jcam.org.

Commemoration each spring

Our meaningful Yom HaShoah commemoration brings area youth and adults from schools and congregations to the Holocaust Memorial on the Polonnoe Cemetery, Baker Street, West Roxbury.

The program begins with each participant reading the name of a child who perished in the Holocaust. As an act of remembrance, they each placed a visitation stone at the memorial, recited Kaddish and then went on to participate in a cemetery tour. Groups find this event deeply important and moving.

JCAM offers virtual “Cemeteries Are for the Living” educational tours to synagogue youth and adult education groups directly from the classroom. While this is especially useful during the winter months, when cemetery visitation is difficult, it can be done anytime! Learn how Jewish cemeteries were established and by whom, what makes a Jewish cemetery Jewish, why we bury sacred materials, and much more.

JCAM offers hands-on restoration workshops to anyone who is interested in learning how to clean monuments, reset small monuments and properly document graves. This is a wonderful volunteer opportunity for any age. Please email JCAM for any information at jcam-office@jcam.org.